Rahul Gandhi Urges PM Modi to Address Hostels and Scholarship Issues for Marginalized Students

Concerns Raised Over Hostel Conditions and Scholarship Delays

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the unacceptable living conditions in residential hostels for students from Dalit, Scheduled Tribes (ST), Economically Backward Classes (EBC), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and minority backgrounds, as well as the delays in post-matric scholarships for these marginalized groups.

In his correspondence, Gandhi emphasized the urgency of addressing these two significant issues, which he believes obstruct educational opportunities for a substantial portion of students from marginalized communities.

He highlighted the dire state of residential hostels, particularly referencing his visit to the Ambedkar Hostel in Darbhanga, Bihar, where students reported overcrowded rooms, unsanitary toilets, unsafe drinking water, inadequate dining facilities, and a lack of access to libraries and the internet.

Moreover, Gandhi pointed out the persistent delays and inefficiencies surrounding post-matric scholarships, citing Bihar as an example where the scholarship portal had been inactive for three years, resulting in no scholarships being awarded in the 2021-22 academic year.

He noted a significant drop in the number of Dalit students receiving scholarships, which fell from 136,000 in FY23 to just 69,000 in FY24, and expressed concern over the low amounts of the scholarships.

While his examples stem from Bihar, Gandhi asserted that these issues are prevalent nationwide and urged the government to take immediate action to rectify these shortcomings.

He proposed conducting audits of hostels for students from marginalized communities to ensure they meet necessary standards for infrastructure, sanitation, food, and academic resources, along with allocating sufficient funds to address existing deficiencies.

Additionally, he called for timely disbursement of post-matric scholarships, an increase in scholarship amounts, and improved collaboration with state governments to enhance execution.

Gandhi concluded his letter by stressing that India's progress is contingent upon the advancement of youth from marginalized communities and expressed hope for a positive response from the Prime Minister.